


I’m So Tired Of Love Songs, I Just Wanna Go Home

by bandable



Category: UNIQ (Band), UP10TION, VICTON (Band), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Attempt at Humor, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, How Do I Tag, Kinda, M/M, Minor Angst, Recycled Fic, references to emo songs, the ryeonsung and 2seung are minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 18:11:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21342535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bandable/pseuds/bandable
Summary: Wooseok was royalty, Seungyoun was not. The two grow up together, seemingly inseparable. If only that’s where their story ended.
Relationships: Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Han Seungwoo, Cho Seungyeon | Seungyoun/Kim Wooseok | Wooshin, Han Seungwoo/Kang Seungsik, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	I’m So Tired Of Love Songs, I Just Wanna Go Home

**Author's Note:**

> uH HI
> 
> this is a fic i originally wrote for a different fandom (which is still on my profile) so if it seems familiar that’s why!! however i personally think this is one of my best fics and i dont think it got the attention it deserved before
> 
> i also wanted to help try and flood the x1 tag on ao3 right now, but don’t have time to actually write anything new so... here we are
> 
> im not sorry for the emo song references here

Wooseok was born exactly eighty-three days after Seungyoun. He does not remember a single day of his life in which Seungyoun was not by his side, nor does he want to imagine one in the future, either. Seungyoun was one of the very few people he knew that treated him as  Wooseok  rather than  Prince  Wooseok. He was such close friends with Seungyoun that if someone were to ask him what home felt like, the only thing—or, well,  person—  that would come to mind would be Seungyoun.

Seungyoun’s mother was a very well-loved maid in the royal family. She had been Wooseok’s mother’s handmaiden for years, to the point that they were more like best friends than handmaiden and princess. When his mother got married, Seungyoun’s mother was one of the few staff members that got to stay under the new rulers. Both had been over the moon when Seungyoun’s mother had gotten pregnant just a few short months after Wooseok’s; they couldn’t wait for their children to grow up together. (Shh, don’t tell anyone, but both had been quietly hoping for one of them to have a girl and the other a boy, hopeful for an arranged marriage in the future.)

Seungyoun didn’t become a constant in Wooseok’s life right off the bat, of course. When they were both babies, Seungyoun was taken care of by his father (who had garnered injuries years before that left him incapable of almost any type of work) while Wooseok was taken care of by his parents and the many nannies and servants and maids. It wasn’t until Seungyoun’s father passed away when the boys were just barely three years old that Seungyoun was  always  with Wooseok. Seungyoun’s mother still had duties and could not always watch over him, so Wooseok and Seungyoun were both put under the care of another maid for a good portion of their childhood years.

-

“Wooseok, Seungyoun, please sit down and do your maths or else I’ll have to send you to separate rooms!” Their tutor, Jinyoung, exclaims exasperated.

Wooseok giggles, “I  am  doing my maths.” He points out.

Seungyoun giggles too, “Yeah! We  are  doing our maths.”

The two were, in fact, not doing their maths. Instead they had swapped papers and were doodling cats and small faces and flowers all over the paper. Jinyoung rubs his temples and takes a deep breath, the two were only six but already such nightmares. He leans over the table and gently switches their papers back. “I may be older than you two, but I’m not blind yet. Come on, if you two finish your maths sheet I’ll let you take a snack break.” He tries and bribes.

Wooseok sits back in his chair, thinking. Seungyoun glances at him before copying his stance. “Can we have animal crackers?” He asks.

“And apple juice?” Seungyoun adds excitedly.

Jinyoung over dramatically pretends to think. “Hmmm… animal crackers  and  apple juice? That’s a pretty high demand don’t you think?” Both boys break out into fits of giggles over Jinyoung’s dramatic scene, “It might take some convincing but I think it could be manageable! Only, of course, if you two do your maths.”

Seungyoun picks up his pencil and quickly goes to answer the first problem. Wooseok, however, hesitates. “You promise?” He pushes.

Jinyoung laughs, rubbing his hand through Wooseok’s hair. “Yeah, I promise,”

Wooseok turns back to his paper and Jinyoung gets up and stretches. He tells the two to stay there while he goes and gets their snack. The two work silently for a few moments before Seungyoun turns his paper towards Wooseok. “Wooseokie, did I do this right?”

Wooseok looks at the problem that Seungyoun was pointing to. It takes him only a few moments to realize that he doesn’t know how to do the problem either, but he didn’t want to tell Seungyoun that! Seungyoun thought that Wooseok knew how to do it, he couldn’t let him down and tell him that he didn’t! So, instead, he pretends to think for a moment. “Hmm… I think so.”

Seungyoun grins so brightly at Wooseok, that he’s glad he pretended to know the answer to the problem.

Wooseok turns back to his paper, and doesn’t notice Seungyoun sighing and putting his pencil down. “Wooseok, can I tell you something?” He asks.

Wooseok looks up, small eyebrows furrowed. “Okay.”

“I… I’m not very good at math. Or school.” Seungyoun admits, “Jinyoungie keeps telling me that I’m doing well and learning a lot but I’m pretty sure I’m just stupid.”

Wooseok sputters, “You’re not stupid!” He exclaims, pout gracing his face.

Seungyoun folds his arms, an identical pout on his face. “But I don’t understand anything Jinyoung tries to teach us!”

Wooseok thinks for a second. “Well--well. If you’re stupid, then that makes me even  stupider !”

Seungyoun lets out a noise of surprise, “You’re not stupid!”

Somewhere in the next few seconds, the situation escalates. Wooseok has always been a sensitive child, not used to people disagreeing with him, as he was the  prince . Seungyoun, on the other hand, had been through a lot of trauma at a young age, and didn’t always know how to deal with his emotions. So, as both were upset, and young, the anger quickly turned to tears.

Jinyoung almost has a heart attack when he comes back in the room--animal crackers and apple juice on a tray--and sees Wooseok and Seungyoun sitting in the place he left them, but both crying almost…  hysterically  over something.

“Hey, hey!” He exclaims, setting the tray down as gently as he can in his panicked state and rushing over to the two, “What’s wrong? What happened? Is someone hurt?”

Wooseok snuffles loudly, and coughs, “Seungyounie called himself stupid!” He accuses.

Seungyoun lets out a sad sound and rubs his nose, “Well--well Wooseokie called himself stupid too!”

Jinyoung allows himself a moment to breathe, glad that no one was hurt and that no actual damage had been done. He lets out a small laugh as he grabs the napkins off of the tray he brought in and wipes the duo’s face as they slowly calm down. “Well, what would you guys say if I told you  neither  of you were stupid?”

Seungyoun sniffles again, “Really?”

Jinyoung throws the napkins away, “Would I ever lie to you two?” He points out, “You two are the smartest six year olds in the entire  kingdom .”

Wooseok giggles, “The entire kingdom?”

“Yeah!” Jinyoung nods firmly, “You’re way more advanced than I was when I was your age.”

Seungyoun laughs loudly, his usual bright smile taking place on his face again. “We’re smarter than you!” He exclaims.

Jinyoung fakes being offended, “Hey! I said when I was that young! Not now!”

Wooseok laughs loudly too, “No, we’re smarter than you!”

Jinyoung sighs, “Well, I guess that means  I’ll  just eat all the animal crackers myself.”

The two boys stop laughing in an instant, “No!” Seungyoun cries at the same time Wooseok exclaims, “But you have to share!”

Jinyoung laughs, “Alright, alright, I guess it would be a  bit  much if I ate them all myself. I think I could share a few.”

That was the first time that Seungyoun made Wooseok cry, and the first time Wooseok made Seungyoun cry. However, it wouldn’t be the last.

-

The first time that Seungyoun really realized that Wooseok was royalty and had royal duties and was famous was when Seungyoun’s mother thought it would be good for him to go to a public school for a little while. She thought it would be good for him to have other friends, and even if he objected vehemently to leaving Wooseok, she was a bit worried the two were becoming a bit  too  dependent on the other.

So, the summer of Seungyoun’s ninth birthday, she enrolls him in a local elementary school. On his first day, he cried the entire way to school, begging her to let him stay home, but alas, she refused.

It was also the first time Seungyoun realized how mean other kids could be.

Public school wasn’t all bad, of course. Seungyoun enjoyed parts of it, like playing outside on the playground and reading books in the big library that the school had. Some of the kids were really nice, too, especially a kid who was named Seungwoo. He was older, but his birthday was too late in the year so he started school late. The two instantly clicked, and became best friends almost instantly. They would play on the swings together, and during lunch they would swap snacks and drinks because, despite Seungyoun not liking fruit snacks, his mother continued to pack them for him.

It was about two months into Seungyoun’s time at public school when the event occurred. Seungwoo and him were sitting at the table, surrounded by other kids in their grade, during lunch. As they were all only eight or nine, they didn’t talk much about their outside lives, but the topic of houses had come up, and, well, Seungyoun  was  only nine. He didn’t realize that Wooseok was a Prince and that he was living with actual royalty.

“My house is pretty big!” Seungwoo had told him, “It sits up on a hill and I even have my own room here! I didn’t have that in my old house.”

Seungyoun smiles. “There’s a lot of rooms in my house! I don’t even know what’s in most of them.” He thought hard, “A lot of old junk probably.”

“How many rooms?” Another student had asked curiously.

“I… I don’t know. It’s a big house and a lot of people live there! It’s on a hill too, but it overlooks the entire kingdom. There’s even a big room where people will come talk to my friend’s Dad about their problems and he sits in a big chair at the end of a table.”

Seungwoo stared at him in awe, but the other students looked at him disbelieving, “That doesn’t sound real.” One said, “It sounds like you’re describing the King’s house.”

Seungyoun stops, his food halfway to his mouth. “Yeah!” He says happily, “My mom works for them! Wooseok is my best friend.”

Seungwoo looks like he wants to object and claim that  he  was Seungyoun’s best friend, but other kids beat him to talking. One laughs loudly, the first kid starts talking again, “You think we’d believe that? You’re a liar!”

Seungyoun furrows his eyebrows. Why would he lie? “No, I’m not! I’m telling the truth. Wooseok and I have grown up together! We used to be tutored by Jinyoung together all the time.”

More kids were listening now, most of them laughing at Seungyoun. Seungyoun could feel his face flush, and tears well up in his eyes. Why were they laughing at him? He was telling the truth! Wooseok  was  his best friend and they did grow up together. Why would he lie about that? “I bet you actually live in a box under a bridge!” A kid jokes, and the rest of them laugh harder.

Seungwoo looks at Seungyoun, confusion on his face. “I’m telling the truth!” Seungyoun cries angrily.

“You  wish  you were royalty like Prince Wooseok,” The first kid says again. “You’re just a stupid commoner like the rest of us!”

Seungyoun pushes himself away from the table, hot tears sliding down his face as he runs away. He doesn’t even see Seungwoo push his food away, and sit uncomfortably at the table as the rest of the kids continue to laugh and poke fun at Seungyoun and his “lies”. He looks like he wants to run after Seungyoun, but he spots a teacher following after him, and figures it’s best to stay put. He’s confused, though, he doesn’t  think  Seungyoun was lying, why would he? He would have to do a little digging to see if he was because he didn’t like all these people laughing at his friend.

Seungyoun ends up going home that day, being almost unconsolable in the bathroom that they had to call his mom to come pick him up.

When Seungyoun returns the next day, the kids had all forgotten about him and his ‘lying’. Except Seungwoo.

Seungwoo comes up to him during their first recess. “Do you really live with Prince Wooseok?” He demands.

Seungyoun drops his head. “You think I’m lying too, don’t you?”

“No.” Seungwoo says, sitting next to him on the steps to the wooden playground that no one played on anymore, opting for the new shiny one, “But I wanted to just make sure.”

“I’m not lying!” Seungyoun says quickly. “I do! My mom works for the Queen, and so we live there too. My mom wanted me to come to public school so I would make more friends, but you’re the only one who’s nice to me.”

Seungwoo puts a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay.” He says, “One day, they’ll all find out you’re telling the truth and then  they’ll  feel stupid for making fun of you!”

Seungyoun smiles, and allows Seungwoo to drag him over to the swings.

-

At home, Seungyoun had started to talk more and more about Seungwoo and Wooseok did not like it at all. Whenever Wooseok asks questions about Seungyoun’s time at school, Seungwoo is always mentioned. He tells Wooseok that they eat lunch together and that Seungwoo helps him with his math and his English and how nice Seungwoo is to him, unlike the other kids. The worst part of it all is that Seungyoun had started to call  Seungwoo  his best friend! Wooseok was his best friend!

It all comes to a peak one day when Seungyoun rushes into the study where Wooseok was trying to finish a math worksheet. “Wooseokie guess what!” He exclaims excitedly, sliding into the chair across from Wooseok at the table.

“What?” He asks, looking up to see Seungyoun smiling more happy than he had ever seen him before.

“I asked my mom and she asked your mom and, and, Seungwoo asked his mom, and so--so--Seungwoo is coming over tomorrow for a sleepover!” Seungyoun claps excitedly at the end of his statement, breathing heavily.

Wooseok drops his pencil, staring at the other boy in shock. “What?” He asks, feeling like his entire little eight year old world was crashing down.

“Yeah!” He says taking his homework out of his bag, “We get to do our homework together and Mom said she was going to order pizza for us, and he gets to stay in my room and we’re gonna watch movies and eat candy! It’s gonna be awesome!”

Wooseok suddenly feels very sad. This wasn’t just his house, obviously, but it sounded like Seungwoo and Seungyoun were going to have a lot of fun. Without him. Even though he lived here too! Was he going to have to do his school work by himself and eat the gross healthy food his mom would make and sleep in his own room by himself why they got to stay up? It wasn’t fair! Why don’t him and Seungyoun get to do those things? Why did Seungyoun even have to go to public school and meet Seungwoo? Seungwoo was taking him away from Wooseok! It wasn’t okay.

“Oh.” Wooseok says, instead of voicing any of his thoughts. “That’s cool.”

Seungyoun pouts at Wooseok’s lack of enthusiasm. “Aren’t you excited?”

Wooseok picks up his pencil, not making eye contact. “Why? He’s your friend.”

Seungyoun makes a noise. “Aren’t you going to hang out with us too?” He asks, suddenly sounding dejected.

Wooseok’s head snapped up. “Oh. I… I thought you wouldn’t want to hang out with me if Seungwoo was here. I didn’t think I was… invited.”

Seungyoun grins letting out his trademark loud laugh. “Of course you are! This is your house! Besides! I want my two best friends to finally meet.”

Wooseok cocks his head. “Two? You can have two best friends?”

Seungyoun calms down a bit, furrowing his eyebrows. “Why not? Who says I can only have one? You’re my best friend but so is Seungwoo.”

Wooseok finally allows a small smile to grace his face, “Oh. Okay. You’re my best friend too.”

Seungyoun grins. “Good!”

A comfortable silence falls on the two as they work on their own school work quietly.

-

Friday comes quickly, and Wooseok is sitting by the front door waiting for Seungyoun to come home. Even though he was bringing Seungwoo, who Wooseok had already decided he didn’t like, he was excited for pizza and candy and movies.

The door finally opens after what felt like hours of Wooseok sitting there, even though it had probably only been a few minutes. The two boys were loud as they entered the house, but Seungwoo quickly fell silent as he took in the house. “Woah.” He says, “It really is big.”

Seungyoun quickly spots Wooseok, “Wooseokie!” He says happily, and drags Seungwoo’s attention to the other boy, “This is Seungwoo!”

Seungwoo quickly bows, “It’s nice to meet you, Prince Wooseok!” Seungwoo says.

Wooseok furrowed his eyebrows. He was used to the really old people treating him this way, but Seungwoo was the around the same age as him and Seungyoun! He could just call him Wooseok. “Hi,” He says and then puts out a hand for a handshake and Seungwoo shyly stands up and takes it, “You can just call me Wooseok.”

“Oh.” Seungwoo says, face flushing, “Okay.”

Wooseok takes a moment to look at Seungwoo. He was a lot taller than Wooseok, but only a little taller than Seungyoun. His hair was dark, but not as dark as Wooseok’s own hair. He was wearing a hoodie that seemed to be about a size too big, and didn’t  look  ten. He seemed much younger, and Wooseok was confused.

“Come on.” Seungyoun says, starting toward the hallway, “Mom said we had to do homework if we wanted to have pizza for dinner.”

Wooseok grins, “Okay! I’m almost done with mine. Jinyoung was nice and didn’t give me a ton to do today!”

Seungwoo follows behind the two, looking at everything like they were the wonders of the world. Everything was so big and so grand, and he had never been around royalty before. It was crazy! And the  prince  had told him he could call him by his name. His mother was never going to believe this! (She hardly believed that Seungwoo was actually going to their house until the  Queen  had called her to make sure it was okay that Seungwoo spent the night with them.)

When the three had reached the study, Jinyoung was already sitting at the table, animal crackers and apple juice set out for three instead of two, like usual. “Heyo, kiddos!” He says cheerfully.

Seungyoun and Wooseok groan at the rhyme, and Seungwoo lets out a tiny giggle. “Hi!” He says to Jinyoung, “I’m Seungwoo!”

“Hello, Seungwoo! It’s nice to meet you, finally.” Jinyoung says, “Everyone has to finish their homework before you’re allowed to play, okay? And I’ll be checking to make sure you’re not just writing down random things, Wooseok.” He says pointedly and Wooseok flushes a little. “If any of you need help, let me know, including you Seungwoo, okay?”

The three agree, and turn to their work wanting to finish quickly and go play.

Wooseok quickly takes back any thought he had about not liking Seungwoo as they’re settling down to watch My Neighbor Tortoro that night. Seungwoo was  so  cool! He could make a noise that sounded identical to a mosquito, and, like Wooseok, he sang! Seungyoun was really excited that his two best friends were getting along, and Seungwoo was ecstatic that  the  prince liked him! Wooseok definitely didn’t hate Seungyoun going to public school, especially because when he asked if Seungwoo wanted to come over to play more often, Seungwoo agreed with a dramatic nod of his head.

Both Seungyoun’s and Wooseok’s mothers were happy to see their kids make friends outside of each other, knowing that them being too dependent on each other was not healthy. They couldn’t be happier that they had found a common friend in someone as kind and sweet as Seungwoo.

-

Seungyoun continued to go to public school while Wooseok stayed and got tutored by Jinyoung. Seungwoo, however, had become a constant in both of their lives despite him not seeing Wooseok as much as he saw Seungyoun. They had become the ‘three musketeers’, as Jinyoung called the trio. They would have sleepovers every two weeks and would even go bowling or to theme parks together. Once, Wooseok was even allowed to go to Seungyoun’s and Seungwoo’s school carnival! (With some security, obviously.)

(That was also the day where all of the other kids believed Seungyoun. It was also the day that Seungyoun realized how  desperate  people could be for fame and royalty as suddenly everyone who had ever been rude to him and Seungwoo were suddenly very nice and wanted to be friends with them as well.)

Their lives were really good for a long time. There weren’t any terrible mishaps, and it seemed like everyone was happy.

However, as Wooseok and Seungyoun neared their thirteenth birthdays some things began to change.

There were more royal duties expected of Wooseok as he began to be taught the politics of the kingdom and who were their allies and who they weren’t allies with but on good terms and so on and so forth. Wooseok began to become more distant.

Seungyoun began to realize this one afternoon when he came home from school and for the fourth time that week, Wooseok wasn’t in the study to do homework with him. Jinyoung told him his lessons had got moved to the mornings so he could focus with his Dad in the afternoons. “Where is he?” Wooseok had asked.

“I think up in the library,” Jinyoung answered, “But, Seungyoun, maybe you should just leave him alone for now?”

“I’m just going to check on him and make sure he’s okay. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Jinyoung tried to stop him, but Seungyoun was determined, and made his escape to the library. There, Wooseok was sitting in a chair, multiple books open around him. “Hey!” Seungyoun says happily when he spotted him, and Wooseok jumps looking up at him.

He had obviously not been getting enough sleep, but Seungyoun didn’t mention it as he sat across from him. “Oh, hi, Seungyounie.” Wooseok grins at him, “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I know,” Seungyoun sighs, “I know that you’re the prince and all, but I miss hanging out with you.”

Wooseok sets his pencil down, a sad look falling over his face. “I know. Me too.”

“Uh, Seungwoo and I are going to hang out tonight! We’re going bowling, I think. Do you want to come?” Seungyoun offers hopefully.

Wooseok face lights up. “Yes! That sounds like a lo—” He cuts himself off, and then slumps in on himself, “I. I can’t.” He says quieter this time.

Seungyoun’s face falls too. “Oh. Why not?”

“There’s some banquet tonight, or something. Dad wants me to come and see how they run so I know for the future.” Wooseok explains, “I don’t think I could get out of it even if I was vomiting, let alone just because I wanted to go bowling.”

Seungyoun sighs sadly. “Alright.” He mutters, “Maybe next time, then.”

“Yeah.” Wooseok nods firmly, “Next time.”

Jinyoung appears in the doorway, then, and drags Seungyoun back to the study so that he could do his homework and Wooseok could work on… whatever he was doing, in peace.

Seungyoun meets up with Seungwoo that night and they go bowling. It wasn’t as fun as they had expected, especially not when halfway through Seungwoo asks, “Where’s Wooseok these days?”

Seungyoun groans loudly, “Who knows?” He replies, “His Dad is forcing him to be involved more with the kingdom and politics and stuff, saying he needs to know this stuff for the future. I don’t ever see him anymore, and it gets lonely without him.”

Seungwoo puts a hand on Seungyoun’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “That sucks, Seungyoun, I’m sorry. You can always call me if you feel lonely! I’ll hang out with you.”

Seungyoun and Seungwoo became closer and closer as time progressed, because Wooseok constantly had other things to do. Wooseok tried not to feel jealous when he found out that Seungwoo and Seungyoun would go out to eat after school to do homework together or that Seungyoun would talk to Seungwoo until nine or ten at night or that it was now  Seungwoo  that Seungyoun went to when he was hurt, lonely, or just needed to talk to someone. He tried not to feel like he was being replaced, but it got harder every time Seungyoun came home, a smile on his face, telling him about what him and Seungwoo had done that day.

Seungyoun tried not to show how sad he was that Wooseok wasn’t in the picture as much anymore by putting on a fake smile whenever he was around him. He took Seungwoo up on the ‘call me when you’re lonely’ offer, and hung out with him whenever he could. It was better than being at home by himself every night because Wooseok was too busy.

Seungyoun didn’t think that him hanging out with Seungwoo more would  mean  anything until one night… it all came crashing down.

It was about a month after Seungyoun’s thirteenth birthday. Seungyoun and Seungwoo were out late working on homework, and decided to take a detour through the park to just talk.

Their conversation were all trivial things at first. They talked about how much they disliked their homeroom teacher and if they were going to go to the big football game in a few weeks, or if the cheerleaders were really as cute as everyone thought they were.

Then Seungwoo dropped a bomb. “Do you… do you ever think about guys the same way you think about girls sometimes?”

Seungyoun looks over at Seungwoo who was sitting a few feet away from him on the grass. “What do you mean?” He asks.

Seungwoo takes a shaky breath, shrugging slightly. “I… I don’t know.” He laughs breathlessly, “We were just talking about the cheerleaders and I just, I dunno, sometimes think that maybe guys are… are better than them.”

Seungyoun is quiet for a moment. He didn’t mean to make Seungwoo scared by his silence, but he had just never heard his own thoughts voiced out loud like that before. “I’m sorry.” Seungwoo says quickly after a few seconds, “Did that make you uncomfortable? I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry. Please don’t tell anyone!”

Seungyoun stops him, “No! No! I’m not uncomfortable! I was just… I was just trying to figure out how to say that I felt the same way sometimes. I didn’t know how to voice it out loud and you… you did. I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.”

Seungwoo nods firmly and the two fall into a slightly awkward silence. “How…” Seungyoun starts, “How do you think we find out if we--if we really feel the same way about guys that we’re supposed to about girls?”

Seungwoo shrugs, picking out the grass from the ground. “I dunno,” He mutters, “Probably kiss a guy?”

Seungyoun stares at Seungwoo who looks up at him, and then flushes. “I didn’t mean me--I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you—”

Seungyoun cuts him off, “Oh! No, no, that’s not why I was looking at you! I didn’t mean  I  wanted to kiss you!”

“You don’t?” Seungwoo asks suddenly, and looking back, Seungyoun could see Seungwoo was joking to try and lighten the mood, but it flew over his head at the time.

Seungyoun stops. The sun had almost completely set by now and he was due home soon. This wasn’t how he thought this night was going to go. “I mean… do  you  want to?” He asks.

Seungwoo flushes again, not making eye contact. “Yeah? Maybe! I don’t know… Maybe we should try just so we know?”

It’s quiet for another moment and then Seungyoun puts a hand on Seungwoo’s shoulder. Seungwoo looks up and blushes bright red at how close Seungyoun was. It only lasted a moment, could barely be considered a kiss, but the two barely teenagers basically flew apart, the distance between them suddenly much larger than before. Both of their cheeks’ were burning red, and despite the kiss not even really being a kiss, both of them were breathing heavier. “Okay.” Seungyoun says finally.

“Yeah.” Seungwoo breathes.

The ‘ Yeah, I DEFINITELY like guys the way I’m supposed to like girls .’ was left unspoken.

-

“Where were you?” Wooseok asks when Seungyoun comes in.

He had been sitting in the living room, a book open in his lap and the lamp on. It felt strangely like a father demanding why his child was home so late. “Oh, I was out with Seungwoo.”

Wooseok tries to choke down the spark of jealousy that flares in his stomach at the fact that they were hanging out without him again. It was fine. Seungyoun and Seungwoo were friends before Seungwoo and Wooseok were, and even if Wooseok and Seungyoun were friends before any of that, it made sense for them to be hanging out so much. Especially because Wooseok couldn’t be around as often anymore, even though he wished he could.

“Oh. Did you guys do anything fun?” He asks.

Seungyoun shrugs, “Nah. We got food and did homework. We went on a walk in the park and talked a little. I kissed him. Nothing new.” He says quickly.

Wooseok almost misses it. “Ah, okay, just the us— what  ?”

Seungyoun jumps. He hadn’t even  realized  he had said that until it was too late. “What?” He asks back, just as intelligently.

“What did you say?” Wooseok asks again.

Maybe he had just misheard! There was no way that Seungyoun and Seungwoo kissed.

“Uh. We got food and did homework. We went on a walk in the park and talked a little. Nothing new.” Seungyoun repeats, leaving out the ‘I kissed him’, hoping Wooseok wouldn’t question it.

Wooseok shakes his head, “No, no there was another thing. You said another thing after you talked. What was it?”

Seungyoun felt like he had been cornered. Of course, he could have just lied and said that he didn’t say anything else and Wooseok had misheard. Had he pushed harder, Wooseok would have eventually accepted it, but Seungyoun was never a very good liar. “I kissed him.” He mutters.

Wooseok heard it loud and clear that time. “Oh.” He says intelligently, but feels like crying and screaming and punching Seungwoo all at the same time.

“Yeah.” Seungyoun says, not making eye contact with Wooseok.

“That’s… that’s cool.” Wooseok says. “Are you two… dating?”

Seungyoun chokes on his spit. “No! No… we were just… trying it out. To see.”

Wooseok looks at him confused, eyebrows furrowed tightly. “To see?”

“I dunno, we were curious, I guess.” Seungyoun shrugs, face red still. “If it felt like how it felt to kiss a girl.”

It’s quiet for another moment before Wooseok asks, “Did it?”

“Yeah.”

-

Seungyoun isn’t sure what he expected after him and Seungwoo had kissed. It definitely wasn’t, a few months later, for Seungwoo to show up to their study hang out on a Saturday holding hands with another boy. They entered the cafe together, and Seungwoo introduced the boy as “Seungsik, my boyfriend.”

Seungyoun is surprised that it didn’t hurt more. He went home and told Wooseok that Seungwoo had a boyfriend who was named Seungsik and really nice. Wooseok tried to suppress a grin or tiny happy dance and said that Seungwoo should bring Seungsik over and they could all hang out together.

It took a while before Wooseok ever got the chance to meet Seungsik, however. In fact, it took  so  long it wasn’t until Seungwoo and Seungyoun’s conjoined birthday party. (Seungyoun had just turned fifteen, Seungwoo was turning seventeen at the end of the year but was celebrating early.) His parents allowed him to go and he wasn’t expected to worry about anything ‘prince’ly for the entire day. It was basically a day of heaven to the boy.

“Hi!” Wooseok had said excitedly when he had spotted Seungyoun, Seungwoo, and another boy in the park that their party was being held.

“Wooseokie!” Seungwoo grins, standing up and hugging him tightly, “I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen you!”

Wooseok laughs and hugs him back, “It’s only been two weeks, Seungwoo.”

“That’s basically forever,” Seungyoun adds, hugging Wooseok as well.

“Oh!” Seungwoo says suddenly, “This is Seungsik.”

Seungsik smiles at Wooseok and bows, just as Seungwoo had the first time he met Wooseok four years ago. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Prince Wooseok.” He says.

Wooseok chokes back a laugh. “You can just call me Wooseik,” He says, “We’re all the around the same age. No need for all of the formalities.”

Seungsik straightens up, a slight blush on his face. “Oh. Okay.” He breathes, “Then it’s nice to meet you, Wooseok.”

“You too,”

Seungwoo didn’t introduce Seungsik as his boyfriend, knowing that he already knew, and unsure if it was appropriate to do so. However, it was obvious, as the two stuck close together, holding hands, under the table, and stealing glances at each other when they thought no one was looking.

Towards the end of the party, Wooseok finds himself alone with Seungyoun on the other side of the park. He could see Seungwoo and Seungsik sitting at a table talking and smiling at each other while their moms talked to each other. Almost everyone else had left, and all that was left as the sun set were a few deflating balloons and streamers.

“They’re cute together.” Wooseok says, watching Seungsik laugh so brightly he fell into Seungwoo’s side.

Seungyoun grins, “Yeah, they really are. I’m glad they met each other, they fit together really well.”

Wooseik nods, leaning against the tree they were sitting under. “I miss this.” Wooseok says sadly.

Seungyoun hums, “What do you mean?”

“I miss hanging out with you. I miss hanging out with Seungwoo too, of course, but I miss how much time we used to spend together. I know we live together and we still see each other at least every few days, but… I don’t know. It feels different now.” He explains and shrugs.

Seungyoun sighs, “Yeah. I didn’t want to mention it and make you feel bad because it’s not like you have a choice with how much you’re away. But… I miss it too. I’m glad that you feel the same way and that I didn’t freak you out a few years ago with the… the thing.”

Wooseok looks over at Seungyoun confused, but Seungyoun wasn’t looking at him, instead staring at the ground picking the grass out of the dirt. (Unbeknownst to Wooseok, this was almost an identical scene to the one two years ago when Seungyoun had kissed Seungwoo.)

“What thing?” Wooseok asks, finally.

“The kiss,” Seungyoun mutters quietly.

Wooseok laughs quietly, “Why would that have freaked me out?”

Seungyoun sighs in relief, laughing as well, “I don’t know… I just thought maybe you thought it was weird that I liked guys and felt uncomfortable around me.”

“That’s really fucking stupid, Seungyoun.” Wooseok said, “Especially because I like guys too.”

He says the last sentence so quickly, Seungyoun almost misses it, but no, he definitely heard right. “Oh.” Seungyoun responds intelligently, his face flushing for some weird reason. “That’s… that’s cool.”

Wooseok looks back over to Seungwoo and Seungsik. Seungsik was talking about something but wasn’t looking at Seungwoo, and Seungwoo was looking at him like Seungsik held the entire world in his hands. Wooseok sighs, “It sucks I’m always cooped up in the house and destined to marry the person my parents want me too. I wish I could meet someone who would look at me like that.”

“Maybe someone already does and you just don’t know it.” Seungyoun points out.

Wooseok whips his head to look at Seungyoun, who’s staring at him a small, shy smile on his face, cheeks bright red. “What do you mean?” Wooseok asks, a similar blush growing on his face.

Seungyoun doesn’t make eye contact. “Nothing.”

Wooseok doesn’t push Seungyoun, and looks back to Seungwoo. He can feel Seungyoun move beside him, but doesn’t move. It’s quiet for a second, and Wooseok is confused because he can feel Seungyoun leaning towards him. He turns his head, and lets out a squeak when Seungyoun, who was probably planning on just kissing him on the cheek, kisses him on his mouth.

Seungyoun pulls away faster than he did when he had kissed Seungwoo two years ago. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do that! I was just trying to—I was trying to—”

Wooseok grins at the stuttering boy, and leans over and kisses him quickly back to shut him up. Seungyoun lets out an identical squeak to the one that Wooseok had. “It’s okay,” Wooseok said, cheeks on fire, “I didn’t mind.”

-

Seungyoun and Wooseok don’t ever actually  talk  about the kisses. It’s not that they didn’t want to, it’s just that there was never really a chance for them to. They got home that night, and Wooseokwas instantly called by his father to come to his room and then Seungyoun didn’t see him for a week because his father had taken him out of town with him and his mother for some political event. The next time he saw Wooseok, it seemed to be a mutual, silent agreement that it would be better to just not talk about it when they had so little time together anyway.

Things almost seem to go back to normal after that, as Wooseok is allowed a bit more free time. However, they spent this free time with Seungwoo and Seungsik more often than not, as Seungwoo and Seungsik never got to see Wooseok as it was.

Seungwoo, Seungsik, and Seungyoun hung out all the time still, however. They had become the new three musketeers, but no one would ever say that to Wooseok. Seungwoo and Seungsik tried their hardest to never make Seungyoun feel like a third wheel, and Seungyoun wouldn’t let them. Things were okay.

The next time Seungyoun and Wooseok even  kind of  talk about the kisses is in April two years later.

“Are you and Seungsik going to prom together?” Seungyoun asks Seungwoo one afternoon.

Seungwoo and Seungsik were still going strong. Everyone around them had started to say that they were soul mates because of how early they started to date and the fact that they were  still  together. Of course, Seungyoun knew that their relationship had ups and downs, just like any relationship, but both liked—loved—each other too much to let any argument ruin what they had built up together.

“Of course,” Seungwoo says, “But you’re welcome to come with us if you want to!”

Seungyoun sighs, putting his head into his arms on top of the lunch table. “No. It’s okay, prom is for couples.” He explains, “I don’t want to take that from you two.”

Seungwoo laughs, “You wouldn’t, you dumbass! But, if you’re worried about that… then just get a date.”

Seungyoun looks at Seungwoo like he has four heads. “Wow, that’s simple isn’t it? Especially when there are so many out guys at our school! Even more so when  I’m  not even really out to anyone.”

Seungwoo sighs, “I mean, you’d have to put yourself out there if you wanted to get asked, Seungyoun.”

“Then I’ll stay home because I’m not doing that.” Seungyoun shrugs, as if that was the end of the conversation.

He should have known, though, that with Seungwoo, it never was the end of a conversation if Seungwoo didn’t say it was. “Alright, well, if you won’t put yourself out there, then just ask Wooseok to go with you.”

Seungyoun chokes on his own spit, “I-I don’t like Wooseok!”

Seungwoo shrugs, “No one said you had to like him to ask him to go to prom with you. Besides, I know you like him. I saw you two kiss at our fifteenth birthday party.”

Seungyoun chokes again. “You saw that?! Why didn’t you say anything?” and then, “Wait! You and I kissed, and neither of us liked each other!”

“No, but that was because we were stupid thirteen year olds experimenting. Anyway, I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my place to. Your and Wooseok’s relationship is your guys’ business, but… you guys are really fucking slow at moving it along.”

“That’s because there’s nothing to move along!” Seungyoun defends.

“Please,” Seungwoo says, “It wasn’t just one kiss, Seungyoun. You both kissed each other! And I see the way you two look at each other when the other one isn’t looking. It’s the same way I look at Seungsik. You like him, kiddo.”

Seungyoun chooses not to respond to what Seungwoo says, and settles for, “Don’t call me kiddo!”

Seungwoo scoffs, “Stop avoiding the topic at hand, Seungyoun! You like Wooseok, and you’re going to ask him to prom, because he’ll say yes, and you’ll both have fun, and it’ll be perfect.”

“What if he  doesn’t  say yes?” Seungyoun asks quietly, though.

Seungwoo shakes his head, “Wooseok likes you just as much as you like him. Besides, even if he didn’t, he’d say yes anyway.”

Seungyoun knows that there’s no point in trying to fight with Seungwoo when he gets an idea in his head, so he lets it go. He hoped that Seungwoo would forget about it, but once again, he should have known better.

Especially not when he got home one day to Wooseok grinning in the doorway—a sight he hadn’t seen since they were twelve. “What?” Seungyoun asks confused as he toes his shoes off.

“It took some convincing, but I convinced my parents to let me have a night to myself, and so I cam go to prom with you!” Wooseok says excitedly.

Seungyoun has to force himself to breathe so he didn’t pass out in the foyer. “What?” He asks, hoping he doesn’t sound like he’s choked up, or that his face wasn’t  too  red.

“Yeah! Seungwoo texted me and said that you wanted to ask me but you weren’t sure if I would even be able to go… so I took the liberty of finding out, and I can go!”

Seungyoun finally finds it in himself to breathe. He doesn’t know if he wants to punch or hug Seungwoo, but Wooseok looks so excited that he gets to go to prom, that he fights all of that down. “That’s awesome! I can’t wait!”

-

It turns out that Wooseok didn’t say yes to going to prom necessarily because it was  Seungyoun  asking, but more so that he wanted to have the prom experience because otherwise he wouldn’t get it.

Everything had gone great, so far. They had gotten matching bow-ties, and both their mothers took too many pictures. Wooseok’s mother pulled Seungyoun aside, thanking him for asking Wooseok to go, “I’m glad he has a friend that isn’t worried about the rumors and is more worried about letting Wooseok be a normal teenager for a night.”  If only she knew  .

They met up with Seungwoo and Seungsik for pictures at the same park they had their birthday party. After, they went for dinner, before arriving to prom fashionably late.

As they entered, though, Seungyoun wishes they had shown up early. Most people had already arrived, and Seungyoun should have  known  that showing up with the Prince wouldn’t go unnoticed. In fact, when they entered the school gym, the two hundred and fifty people already there fell dead silent, so that the music was actually discernable and all eyes were on Seungyoun and Wooseok.

After it set in that Seungyounhad shown up with the fucking  Prince ,!the gym fell into loud ‘whispers’, asking “are they dating?” and “I forgot they knew each other!” and “Wooseok looks so good, I wish  I  was his date!”

It’s a little awkward at first, as the crowd parts and then centers around them as they dance. They try to enjoy themselves, but the second a slow song came on, Seungyoun says, “I’m going to use the restroom!” at the same time Wooseok says, “I’m going to go get a drink!”

They could only avoid the slow dances for so long, though, especially with Seungwoo and Seungsik there as well. After the third time of watching the two skit around each other when a slow song came on, they had taken it upon themselves to push them to dance together.

It takes another twenty minutes for a slow song to start, but when it does, Seungyoun finds himself pushed into an empty hallway trying to escape from the gym. No one else is there, but he can still hear the music clearly because of how loud it was. Wooseok is then pushed through the double doors a few seconds later and they can hear Seungwoo yell, “Dance with each other you dumbasses!” From inside the gym.

Both of them blush, but Wooseok holds out a hand. “Would you like to dance with me?”

Despite Seungyoun’s blush getting harsher, he takes Wooseok’s hand and allows him to lead as they begin to dance in the empty, dark hallway. It’s silent for a moment, before Seungyoun takes a leap of faith, and breaks the silence. “Did… did you feel anything when we kissed two years ago?”

Wooseok laughs a little, “That was so long ago,” He says, but it doesn’t sound mean, just nostalgic. “But… I—yeah. I did.”

Seungyoun lets out a loud breath of relief, “I… I did too.”

Wooseok grins, but neither of them say anything until the song is almost completely over. “Well, what do we do now?” Seungyoun asks.

Wooseok doesn’t answer, and instead leans down and kisses Seungyoun  again . Seungyoun lets out a tiny squeak ( again ) before kissing him back.

When the song ends, they pull away, faces bright red as they seemed to permanently be when they were around each other. “I still feel something,” Seungyoun whispers.

“Me too.” Wooseok whispers back.

An upbeat song begins, “Do you want to go back in?” Seungyoun asks Wooseok.

Wooseok hesitates. “I… I have to tell you something, actually.”

Seungyoun grins, “Yeah, what is it?”

It’s quiet, and Seungyoun feels his heart rate pick up as anxiety sets in. “Wooseok… what is it?” 

“I didn’t want to tell you like this!” Wooseok begins, “I swear! I didn’t even know until last week!”

Seungyoun cuts him off, hands shaking and heart beating wildly, terrified as to what Wooseok was going to tell him. “Spit it out, Wooseok!”

Wooseok takes a deep breath, “My… my parents. They. They introduced me to a girl last week. Her name is Jiyoo, and she… she’s the girl I’m set to marry next year after my nineteenth birthday.”

Seungyoun suddenly feels like he can’t breathe. The high he was on suddenly came crashing down to a lower low than it had ever been. “I…”

“I wanted to just enjoy tonight and tell you later, but then I got so caught up in everything and then I kissed you, and realized how much I… I still liked you, and I started to think how much it was going to suck because I had to marry someone else, but I wanted to tell you so we could enjoy the time we had before it happened!”

Seungyoun coughs, trying to ignore the burning behind his eyes as the sadness quickly turned to anger. “You’re a fucking dickbag!” Seungyoun exclaims, and Wooseok recoils a step back in shock.

“What?”

“You-you—” Seungyoun was so heated, he could hardly breathe, still. “You knew I liked you still! You knew that I had feelings for you, and you still decided to continue with our plans to go to prom after you knew I asked you,  because I liked you . And then you fucking kiss me, and get my hopes up and tell me that you still like me! Then you drop this fucking nuclear bomb and say that you’re getting married after your nineteenth birthday, but you wanted to be with me until then?”

Wooseok tries to speak, but Seungyoun wasn’t finished.

“How shitty is that, Wooseok? Did you ever think how that would make me feel? You wanted me to spend a year with you, falling more in love with you than I already am and then just be  okay  with you marrying someone else? Just like that?” Seungyoun scoffs, “I didn’t think you were that fucking stupid.”

“Seungyoun, I—” Wooseok tries, but Seungyoun didn’t want to hear it.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Wooseok. You’ve already officially broken my heart, I don’t want you to break it a second time.” Seungyoun says shaking his head and heads toward the double doors of the gym.

“Seungyoun, wait!” Wooseok calls.

Seungyoun pauses, but Wooseok doesn’t say anything. “That’s what I thought.” He shakes his head, “Enjoy your life with Jiyoo, Prince Wooseok.”

Wooseok chokes, “Prince?!” He exclaims, having never heard Seungyoun call him Prince before.

Seungyoun allows himself to turn around one last time, “I think it’s better if our relationships stays strictly prince and commoner from now on.” Seungyoun explains, “Save us both anymore heartbreak.”

“But we’re best friends!” Wooseok tries, tears burning the back of his eyes.

Seungyoun shakes his head, eyes watery, face sad. “No. We  were  best friends. There’s a difference.”

Seungyoun ignores Wooseok’s shaky cries of his name as he pulls the doors to the gym open, and allows tears to finally fall down his face. He can hear the song playing a bit better inside, and it’s some weird, English song. It’s not slow, but not fast, and Seungyoun can just make out one line enough that it makes him break down in sobs as he fights his way to where he can see Seungsik on the other side of the gym.  If you love me, let me go .

Seungsik drops the water he was holding when Seungyoun walks up, tears running down his face, ugly sobs coming out of his mouth. “Seungyoun! What happened?” He exclaims, wrapping an arm around him and quickly leading him to the bathroom where he knew Seungwoo was.

“I--I need to leave.” Seungyoun chokes out.

“Okay, okay, we’re going to go find Seungwoo and then we’ll figure this out, okay?” Seungsik asks, “Where’s Wooseok?”

Seungyoun lets out a loud sob at the mention of his name, and Seungsik wishes he could take it back, “I don’t wanna fucking see that asshole!” Seungyoun cries, as they enter the bathroom and Seungwoo jumps from where he was throwing paper towels away.

When he sees Seungyoun crying, he instantly changes into ‘protective best friend mode’. “I’m going to punch the fucking prince!”

-

Days pass quicker, it seemed, after prom. It’s about a month until Seungyoun even sees Wooseok again, passing him in the hallway with a polite bow and a, “Morning, Prince Wooseok,” before disappearing down the stairs.

Wooseok doesn’t say anything, and just watches him go.

It’s an unusually hot day in October when Seungyoun meets Jiyoo for the first time. He was coming up the steps to the house as she was leaving. “Oh!” She exclaims, “Hi. I’m Jiyoo.”

Seungyoun forces a smile, “It’s nice to meet you,” He reaches a hand out, “I’m Seungyoun.”

She smiles at him, “Oh! Wooseok’s best friend. He’s told me a lot about you, it’s so great to finally put a face to a name.”

Seungyoun tries to ignore the butterflies in his stomach at the fact that Wooseok still talks about him and calls him his best friend. “Ha, yeah, that’s me.” He says instead.

Her phone dings, and when she pulls it out, he can make out the name of the person messaging her. ‘ My Baby!’  with twelve hearts after it. He figures it’s Wooseok, but she locks her phone and slides it into her pocket, “Sorry, I have to go, relationship duties!” And walks down the steps to a car in the driveway.

Seungyoun watches her go, eyebrows furrowed. He knew Wooseok was inside, why was she saying relationship duties and  leaving ?

He tries to ignore it, and goes inside, and to his own room.

-

Christmas comes and passes. It’s two days after when Seungyoun comes to his room to see a present and a note sitting on his bed. There’s no name on any of it, so he assumes it’s from one of the maids or something and opens it.

Inside is a CD he’d been wanting for a while, and he smiles as he sets it aside. He then opens the note, and the smile falls as he recognizes the handwriting almost instantly.

Seungyoun—

I have so much I want to say, and I’m stupid so it’s taken me over six months to do so. I’ll start off by saying I’m so fucking sorry. I’m sorry for being stupid, I’m sorry for ignoring how my actions would make you feel, and I’m sorry I didn’t reach out to you sooner. I’m just… I’m sorry.

I know that probably doesn’t fix any of this. I don’t expect it to. But I want it to be a start. I want you to understand that almost everyday I dream of what we could be if I wasn’t born as Prince Wooseok. I think about how our lives could have been different. How I could have been the one you kissed when you were thirteen, instead of Seungwoo. How I could have been the one there for you for so many years. I think about it all of the time, and I fucking hate how I can’t do anything to change it. I hate how stuck I feel.

Then I met Jiyoo. Before you rip this letter up and come and find me to punch me, PLEASE hear me out. I met Jiyoo, and realized how fucking stupid I was because she told me. I spilled everything to her one night. I know I shouldn’t have, and you probably hate me for that, but we talked a lot about it all. She told me the same thing that you told me: how inconsiderate I was and how I didn’t think about your feelings at all.

That really hit me, and I cried in front of her that night. Me. I cried in front of her. I haven’t cried in front of someone since we were six and we cried because we called ourselves stupid.

Jiyoo told me that same night that she had a girlfriend. She didn’t know when she was going to tell me and said that had she not told me, she was going to run away the night before our wedding. (I know. How insane?) After I told her about us, well, we came up with a plan.

I only hope that you’ll forgive me and you’ll be willing to be apart of it.

I just… I like you and I want to make things right.

No. I love you.

I, Kim Wooseok, am in love with you, Cho Seungyoun.

Please meet me in the garden on January 2nd at 9:15 PM if you’re willing to know more about our plan.

If… if you don’t show up, I’ll take that as a no and that you really don’t want to be around me or hear from me ever again.

\- Wooseok

Seungyoun doesn’t even realize he’s crying until a tear drop falls onto the paper and causes some of the pen ink to run.

He grabs his phone and sends a picture of the letter to Seungsik and Seungwoo with a caption of ‘what do I do??’

“You fucking go meet him on January 2nd you dumbass!” Seungwoo responds.

-

January 2nd comes almost too quickly for his liking. Seungyoun shows up at 9:10, surprised to see Wooseok already sitting there, a single pink carnation in his hand.

He stands up quickly when he spots Seungyoun. “Hi,” He breathes.

Seungyoun stops a solid five feet away from him. “Hi,” He responds.

Wooseok holds out the flower, “I… I got this for you. It… it represents capriciousness which means having the quality of having sudden and unaccountable changes in behavior, because… I feel like that’s us and our relationship.”

Seungyoun takes the flower, a small smile on his face, “Thank you.”

It’s quiet for a beat too long, and Seungyoun is about to turn and leave when Wooseok finally talks. “I’m really fucking sorry. I know I hurt you, I know and I’m sorry it took me so long to come to my senses and let go of my pride and apologize to you. I’m stupid, and you were right about everything, just like you always were.” He says, “And I’m willing to say I’m sorry to you everyday for the rest of my life if that’s what it’ll take to get you to forgive me.”

Seungyoun smiles again, “You don’t have to do that. I… I forgive you already.”

Wooseok lights up. “Really?”

Seungyoun nods slowly, “I… I think that you’ve proved yourself. I mean, you looked up the meaning of a flower to give to me, when just three years ago you didn’t know the difference between roses and tulips.”

Wooseok blushes, and Seungyoun continues, “I… I missed you a lot, and I’m willing to hear you out with this plan that you and Jiyoo created.”

-

Seungyoun sighs as he stares up at the church. Everything is decorated in white and pinks, and Seungyoun unconsciously reaches up and touches the pink carnation he has tucked into his suit pocket. He knows that Wooseok has an identical one tucked into his own wherever he was currently.

Seungwoo and Seungsik are standing beside him. “Are you ready?” Seungwoo asks him, squeezing his hand.

Seungyoun lets out a shaky breath, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The trio enters the church and takes their seats in the middle of the rows. Seungyoun can see a woman whispering furiously to someone who was dressed as a waiter. (But Seungyoun is almost positive he’s  not  a waiter.) Jisung makes eye contact with Jinyoung, who had been certified to do the ceremony upon Wooseok’s request. (All part of the plan.) Jinyoung gives him a thumbs up and Seungyoun smiles back at him.

Seungsik puts a hand on his shoulder, “This is crazy, I can’t believe you’re actually going to do this.”

Seunyyoun lets out  another  shaky laugh. “Neither can I.”

The next twenty minutes pass in a blur, and it seems like in almost no time, Seungyoun is turning to watch Wooseok walk down the aisle. He feels like his breath was ripped out of his lungs when he catches sight of him. His black hair was pushed back off his forehead, and the same pink carnation was in fact tucked into his suit pocket as well. Seungyoun catches his eye and they smile at each other.

This was it.

The bridal march begins to play, and everyone turns to watch Jiyoo walk down the aisle.

No one was there.

The doors were still shut, and everyone held the breath as the bridal march continues to play for what seems like much too long.

No one shows up.

Finally, the doors open, but it’s not Jiyoo. Instead, it’s a bridesmaid standing there, breathing heavily, a note clutched in her hands. “Jiyoo ran away!” She cries, “With another lady!” and then she faints.

The room bursts into commotion and cries. “What are we going to do?!” Wooseok’s mother exclaims as the bridesmaid is helped out of the room.

Among all the commotion, Seungyoun sneaks up to the front, and stands across from Wooseok. Wooseok takes his hand tightly, and smiles brightly at him. Chan taps a microphone, quickly bringing everyone’s attention back to the front.

There’s more cries of confusion as he begins to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today—”

“What is happening?!” Wooseok’s father exclaims, “Stop this nonsense right this second!”

Jinyoung doesn’t, however, and continues to speak. No one’s sure what to do. Neither of Wooseok’s parents want to actually  interfere  and possibly cause a scandal, and so it feels like everyone watches in shocked silence as Jinyoung continues the ceremony.

“Cho Seungyoun you are  nineteen , what are you doing?” His mother hisses, but Seungyoun pretends he didn’t hear her.

“Kim Wooseok, do you take Cho Seungyoun to be your wedded husband?” Jinyoung asks.

“I do, I do, I do,” Wooseok says before anyone can cut him off.

A gasp flows through the room. “Wooseok!” His mother exclaims.

“And do you, Cho Seungyoun, take Kim Wooseok to be  your  wedded husband?” Jinyoung continues.

“I do.” Seungyoun says just as quickly.

“No!” Wooseok’s father cries.

“Then you may kiss the… husband.” Jinyoung says, slamming his book closed.

Before anyone can do anything else, Wooseok pulls Seungyoun closer, and kisses him like his life depended on it.

The room bursts into cheers and  more  cries of confusion.

Wooseok’s mother stands up as they pull away, “Will someone please tell me what is happening here?!”

Jinyoung grins, “Wooseok and Seungyoun are now married.” He says, “Saving a royal scandal about the bride who ran away to be with another woman.”

Wooseok’s mother looks like she wants to protest, but doesn’t. Wooseok’s father does, though, “This is not what we had planned! I want this marriage nulled right this instant!”

Jinyoung fakes a dramatic gasp, “Oh! That’d be quite the headline!” He rubs his chin, “But I guess—”

Wooseok’s mother holds up her hand, “We cannot afford that!” She tells her husband and he seems just as defeated as she did, “I… I guess, if it had to be  anyone , at least we know Seungyoun.” She says.

Wooseok’s father takes a deep breath and then exhales, “I… I guess you’re right.”

The room erupts into more cheers and Wooseok and Seungyoun grin at each other. The past four months, sneaking out past midnight, it was all worth it, with the rings on both of their middle fingers and the pink carnations hanging out of their suit pockets.

At the reception, both Seungsik and Seungwoo give speeches that bring everyone to tears, and Seungwoo collectively makes the entire room cry from laughter when he says that “Seungyoun, I always believed that you knew Wooseok! You didn’t have to go to the extent of  marrying  him to prove it t me!”

-

Seungsik and Seungwoo get married three years later, with Wooseok as Seungsik’s best man and Seungyoun as Seungwoo’s. Seungyoun gets payback on Seungwoo by telling the story of how Seungwoo cried the first time he slept over, and Wooseok talks about how he knew the two were perfect for each other the day he saw the way they looked at each other at Seungwoo’s fifteenth birthday party.

-

Another year later, Seungyoun and Wooseok are living in a small house at the bottom of the hill they grew up on, away from the rush and bustle of the actual house until Wooseok is expected to take over for the king.

A knock at the door is a surprise to both of them, especially when they open it to just see a servant there with a letter for the duo. “This came for you!” He says before quickly scurrying away.

Wooseok rips it open and both gasp in unison when they see what it is.

A wedding invitation. With a note that says, “ I’m not running away this time .”

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh okay !!! i hope u all enjoyed and thank u for reading!
> 
> follow me on [twitter](%E2%80%9Ctwitter.com/clnnaminhee%E2%80%9D)!!


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